JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — We all know that football rules our region, the Bucs, Vols, Hokies and Mountaineers are a popular draw each fall. But a Tri-Cities former football player wants to introduce people to a different sport, that both kids and adults can play.
Rugby has been in the region for about 40 years. But recently, Adam Jasenak has brought it back to a football-loving area.
“It’s hard because I mean obviously, this is a big football area,” he said.
Jasenak says the game is played a bit differently than what some have seen on television or social media.
“So it’s been difficult in the sense of the stigma with rugby we don’t wear padding typically or helmets,” he said. “So people believe that it’s less safe. But there are many laws and the many laws are rules that make it way safer. I’ve played for 13 years and I’ve had zero injuries, no concussions.”
As a physical education teacher, Jasenak said rugby is a great sport for kids, and he loves teaching them the game during summer camps.
“All of our youth stuff is non-contact,” he said. “So you don’t have to worry about that. It really builds a lot of teamwork because you’re playing offense, defense, and just really working together to move the rugby ball down the field.”
He hopes teaching people the game will inspire them to try it through the Johnson City Rugby program.
“So we’re really trying to integrate youth into our program a lot more and that has been so rewarding so far. Last year we had well over 100 kids in our program and we just continue, continuing to try and grow,” he said.
Information on how to join and more can be found on the Johnson City Rugby website.
